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Kayla's Only Heart

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Kayla's Only Heart

Tag Archives: health

Recommended Reading: February 5, 2021

05 Friday Feb 2021

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creative, health, mental health, pop culture, writing

This BP Hope article highlights  foods to fight inflammation. Eating these can boost your physical and mental health.

Cameron Crowe’s classic movie Almost Famous is one of my favorites. As it celebrated its ten year anniversary this fall, the director did an interview with Variety that shares behind the scenes insight.

As a teacher and a writer, I reap the benefits of writing longhand on a daily basis. I’m all for making deeper connections in our brains and using that for personal and professional growth. This especially applies for learning and creative processes.

This New York Times article shares additional creative benefits from exercise. I know I’m thankful for my active life and active imagination. Both keep my spirits up to lead a healthy and meaningful life.

This Book Riot dive into the Twilight soundtracks reminds us of the best part of the series. They have some great music. They don’t mention Collective Soul, but I’d like to remind you of the band and their presence on the first album.

I absolutely adore Valentine’s Day and soak in love in all its angst, glory, and fun through movies, books, and  music throughout the season. To give you a cathartic angst release, I present to you my favorite song to sing. I was pretty excited to realize my physical proximity to Chris Carrabba at the beginning of the pandemic.

Recommended Reading Links

16 Wednesday Sep 2020

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Almost Famous, food, health, healthy, letters, mental health, weekend

Quick and Dirty offers tips for selecting sunscreen. Summer brings sunny times of fun that still require care, and this applies to all seasons.

These healthy foods can prevent clogged arteries. It makes me feel empowered to know I can avoid some damage. The bigger picture of heart health consists of numerous small choices. 

Almost Famous turns 20 this month. I’m having an anniversary celebration weekend. Check out this Entertainment Weekly article for some fun set photos and memories of Cameron Crowe’s masterpiece.

I regularly send and receive letters, and that number has increased during the last several months. It feels good to know I can trust someone enough to share what I write and that they trust me in return. My steady pen pal and best friend has kept me company through supportive letters. This Washington Post article articulates the mental health benefits of letter writing. 

In case you needed more enticement to watch Almost Famous, I present to you the trailer.

Reading Recommendations: January 2, 2020

02 Thursday Jan 2020

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in Reading Recommendations, Uncategorized

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books, Brooklyn, health, mental health, Nancy Drew, New York, New York City, reading, recommendation, resolutions, short story, Taylor Swift, wellness

The New Yorker shared Shirley Jackson’s eerie short story The Lottery.

This Mayo Clinic article shares important insight regarding self-esteem and the importance of identifying negative thoughts.

I recently have read my first Nancy drew mystery. This Book Riot article examines the history of the series and its writers as it has evolved.

 

Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York”

I enjoyed some reading time in the New York area as I read the wonderful The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, and Brooklyn by Tolm Toibin. I highly recommend all three.

Monday Motivation: Run with the Truth

07 Monday Jan 2019

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goals, habits, health, improvement, knowledge, Monday Motivation, progress

“Men occasionally stumble on the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.”

Sir Winston Churchill

 

With so many resources available to us, we have a significant opportunity to share knowledge and use it to improve our lives. Books and professional research enlighten us on how we can improve our health physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. While we must practice discernment in considering the validity of the claims (ie make sure it has undergone peer review, etc), we can use proven information. As we contemplate fresh starts and habits during the first full week of the new year, let’s consider putting good knowledge into practice. As knowledge is power, it can boost our confidence to use it and continue even when we face people who doubt in their limited knowledge or we can’t see immediately the positive outcome. Most importantly, rather than running from the truth, we can run with it as we move forward constantly growing.

 

For a health related resource, I recommend newsletters from Mayo Clinic. They have ones catered to mental health, heart health, digestive health and general health. Their notes make a good starting place on learning details.

Monday Motivation: Active Participation

08 Monday Oct 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

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choices, fate, health, lifestyle, motivation, responsibility

As I contemplate the knowledge Dr. Richard Furman shares in Defeating Dementia (review here), I remember how we can improve our health a lot more than we tend to believe. Easily, we find ourselves falling into the myth that our genetics determine our health fate and that we cannot do much to improve it. While genetics can give us a disadvantage in numerous issues, the fact remains that our choices regarding our diet and exercise habits can significantly decrease the effects of many health issues.

Defeating Dementia outlines several facets of our health that we can improve by our own choices, such as blood pressure. This book as well as numerous articles I’ve read from Mayo Clinic and other sources remind us that a lot of deaths come from preventable heart disease and similar issues. So rather than accept a fate based on myth, let’s consider what we can do to improve our quality of health. This keeps us living more independently and happily and saves us from spending our extra money on avoidable health expenses. It also prevents us creating a strain on our family members or other caregivers who would have to give their time and money to us because we didn’t take care of ourselves as well as we should have when we had the knowledge and ability to do so.

We have a lot more power than we like to believe. We hold the responsibility of managing and caring for our health. Take some time to research how you can improve your diet and exercise routine to improve your overall health. This keeps you able to fulfill your purpose longer.

Book Review: Defeating Dementia

05 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Uncategorized

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Alzheimer's, book review, books, Defeating Dementia, dementia, habits, health, healthy lifestyle, Revell

I received a copy of Defeating Dementia: What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Other Forms of Dementia by Richard Furman, MD, FACS from Revell in exchange for a review.

Dr. Furman makes the practical information in his book very accessible. Readers need not hold any mastery in medicine to understand the concepts. The first part of the book explains how dementia develops in simple terms, helping readers understand the changes in the brain as dementia develops and progresses. After sharing a working knowledge of the illness, he encourages readers to commit to taking care of their exercise and diet habits as the choices they make now will affect their body later. They hold the power to prevent or at the very least significantly decrease the effects of dementia.

I appreciate not only how anyone can access this information in its simplicity and therefore use it to help themselves but also how Dr. Furman emphasizes the power and control each person has to influence their own health fate. Most the factors that contribute to the progression of the illness fall into habits and lifestyle choices an individual can control. That feels empowering and really pushes readers to adapt to a healthy lifestyle.

Regarding the power of habit, Dr. Furman writes, “Whether you eat properly, maintain an ideal weight, or exercise is dependent on the habits you develop. So much in life is related to habits. Your routines eventually become habits that you don’t even think about. Willpower and self-discipline are the two most important factors in the success of habit development” (195). Choose today to evaluate your habits and watch your risk factors of: high cholesterol, a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, high blood pressure and diabetes. You can create habits to maintain a healthy diet, ideal weight and exercise routine to avoid those risk factors and therefore avoid or decrease the effects of dementia.

Wonder Book Review: Kinder Than Necessary

22 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in books, Journal, Uncategorized

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book club, book review, bookish, books, differences, different, health, kindness, Knopf, library, Warren County Public Library, wonder

I recently have read and fallen into awe over R.J. Palacio’s Wonder for the KIRB Appeal Book Club at Warren County Public Library. This story follows an inspiring young boy named Auggie Pullman who suffers from a myriad of health issues resulting in severe facial deformities as he ventures into public school the first time as he enters fifth grade. Though much younger than me, Auggie reminds readers of all ages of the importance of being kinder than necessary. He faces his obstacles, much like anyone faces personal issues, as he hides them, thus blocking his connection to others and his way to see how to overcome his struggles, understands his differences and how he may have to take care of himself differently than other people do, learns not to let mean people ruin his otherwise good days, and adjusts his perspective on people’s reactions to his visible struggles and differences all the while demonstrating the power of kindness.

Toward the beginning of the story, Auggie shares how he lets his hair fall into his face because “it helps me block out the things I don’t want to see” (21). He even shares that he had the forethought to grow it out so he could do that; he wanted to hide his face and his struggle with his health issues. This makes sense; no one likes to have people stare at them. I too know what it feels like; I simply wear gloves at work and catch people glancing at them in contemplation of why I would wear them. Most of them end up asking questions about them, rarely seeming to understand I do it to protect my skin and health (not wearing them results in numerous bleeding cracks, which sometimes lead to bubbly staph infections…all of which hurt). It feels easier to hide the problem and try to ignore it. Yet, it can’t really go away. Auggie hiding his face may have kept people from quickly noticing his difference, but it also kept him from engaging in the world around him. With the hair over his eyes, he not only couldn’t see people’s silly stares, he couldn’t see his own world or goals. As he discovers, people stare either way. I have received as many questions about my cracked hands before I wore gloves as I have while wearing the gloves; I have decided I’d rather get asked about the gloves and not have the infections. This allows me to get through my days more successfully. Auggie does the same thing by putting his best face forward and going to his school every day rather than going back to homeschooling and not having a school community or group of friends.

By showing up to school and taking care of himself, Auggie demonstrates his understanding that he is a little different than most people. His cleft palate and other issues make it harder for him to eat. Therefore, he must chew his food with his front teeth rather than in the back of his mouth like most people. Some people may react to this since it normally might get perceived as rude or might get crumbs on the table. However, not eating this way could result in him choking. Auggie understands that he must take care of his choking risk with greater care than the average person. Again, I sympathize with my skin issues. I must protect mine more than the average person. I might get some silly stares and questions for my unusual use of gloves, but not wearing them increases my risk of illness and infection. So I must understand that I might have to care for myself a little differently or with more effort.

In his higher level of understanding from being different from the other kids, Auggie achieves a level of perspective and peace I have yet to perfect. He realizes most people don’t mean to be rude or mean when they point at him because of the difference they see in him. He notes that they don’t laugh when they point and reflects that if a Wookie went to his school he may do the same thing out of curiosity (62). This bit of wisdom seems to keep him from letting those people bother him. He takes his difference in stride. He may look odd and may have to care for himself in ways others don’t expect or find odd, but he knows what he has to do and rolls with it.

Auggie’s ability to roll with the punches doesn’t come without its rough days though. He almost quits school after learning about some kids making fun of him behind his back. He also suffers physical harm at the hands of bullies from another school, almost taking away his great joy from the rest of that weekend’s activities with his friends. Auggie’s sweet, supportive mom reminds him, “No, sweetie, don’t let them do that to you. You were there for more than forty-eight hours, and that awful part lasted one hour. Don’t let them take that away from you, okay?” (277). The comments and stares I get come as part of the beauty of working retail. I admit I have let some of the ignorant and mean comments stew in my mind longer than they should. I have worked to hold a perspective closer to that of Auggie’s. Usually for each time someone says something ignorant, I can find someone who authentically thanks me for my help or kindness. I also remind myself that most these people are fortunate enough to not be able to relate to my health issues and therefore don’t understand the depth or complexity of them.

The reality exists that we all face some sort of difficulty on some sort of regular basis. Some of these struggles others can see, while others people can’t. As Wonder shows, everyone gets bullied to some extent, whether by intentional meanness or the ignorant variety, at some point. That demonstrates the importance of this story’s lesson: to show a little more kindness than is necessary. Auggie’s teacher Mr. Tushman quotes the James Barrie story The Little White Bird to emphasize this idea’s origin. Then he shares an example of Joseph in the movie Under the Eye of the Clock where someone does a small act of kindness for Joseph and how that one small gesture tremendously impacts Joseph. Mr. Tushman quotes, “‘It was at moments such as these that Joseph recognized the face of God in human form. It glimmered in their kindness to him, it glowed in their keenness, it hinted in their caring, indeed it caressed in their gaze'” (300). Auggie’s perspective on others’ treatment of him and his reactions to others demonstrate the difference kindness can make on people.

We all face difficulties, and we all have aspects of ourselves and our experiences that make us different from others. Like Auggie, we can grow our perspectives on them so we don’t let those differences hinder our ability to engage with our lives and to take care of ourselves. Books like this help us remember that we all face challenges and we can all show kindness to each other. Ignorant or mean remarks don’t have to ruin our otherwise good days, and a little extra kindness truly can make someone’s day or life a little brighter. Let’s all be a little kinder than necessary.

 

***Each year, members of KIRB Appeal collect spare change in jars to donate to a charity at the end of the year. Since we have read this book first this year, we are donating to a charity that helps kids with cleft palates.

Gaining Independence and Staying In Dependence on God

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in Journal, Uncategorized

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Christian living, community, friends, God, growth, health, help, independence, Independence Day, relationships, responsibility

Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day. Since my situation encountered another change recently, I found myself contemplating my own independence. Specifically, I considered how much independence fits a healthy lifestyle. I saw a blurb from a Christian resource pointing readers to remain in dependence on God. That reminder got me thinking about leaning on God, my family, friends and community.

I tend to isolate myself. That stems from a way I’ve coped with difficulties that started in childhood, and I’ve had to work on rerouting that habit. While good results arise from me wanting to take care of myself and my physical needs, I can take care of my spiritual and mental needs only to a point. Well, even my physical needs require me to seek help. I just have a hard time asking for help. Yet it’s there. I do not need to isolate myself; that only tends to worsen the situation. Somehow I forget I truly do have a team of people who care about me and whose relationships have proven fruitful for me (and them). God created us to depend on Him as well as live in community.

As I contemplate my next step for my career and my focus on my physical, mental and spiritual health, I seek to regain more of my independence again in terms of taking care of myself. Yet I also want to remind myself that part of that responsibility involves asking for help and seeking resources. Wherever I end up, I can lean on God and my community near and far.

The Greater The Distance

27 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by KaylasOnlyHeart in Journal

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allergies, alone, anaphylaxis, anxiety, cliche, communication, depression, empathy, family, friends, happiness, health, heart, help, ignorance, improvement, issues, life, long distance, mind, PTSD, reaction, sensitive, sensitivity, support, sympathy

I kid that I am sensitive in every meaning of the word and to obnoxious extents. For example, I have a long list of foods that cause allergic reactions, including several items that push my body to the extreme in anaphylaxis. My feelings don’t differ too much unfortunately despite how strong I appear or am. Just like I can’t control that certain snacks potentially could kill me, I can’t anymore control that my brain has a chemical imbalance stemming from biological factors as well as responses to past experiences. None of these things should be held against me, yet I can’t tell you how many times those reactions have been brushed off as insignificant. The added weight of all this discredit makes me want to distance myself from people right now.

I’m smart enough to know I shouldn’t take it to heart when I get asked twenty times a day why I wear gloves while working at Home Depot. No, I’m not doing forensics or surgery. No, it’s not because I have OCD (the person you asked while pointing at me can tell you that too). These people don’t mean to “poke” me as I say. It’s unusual, and they’re curious. Maybe they also missed their class on decorum. Yet when the amount of “pokes” increases, it ends up leaving a small bruise. I simply try to protect my skin from further inflammation or from an infection from exposing it raw to money, the FILTHIEST item on the planet.

Now I need to protect my heart and mind even more than usual. Unfortunately, depression has a lot of mystery and misunderstanding surrounding it. It’s easy for someone to look at a victim and accuse them of being lazy or to tell that person to “just get over it and be happy.” If it the solution or cure held such simplicity, no problem would exist. Wellmeaninged people have told me these very sentiments. Those “suggestions” do not prove fruitful. What seems to hurt most, whether aimed at a depressed or non-depressed person, is feelings getting dismissed. Even if they’re tears spilled over a dead squirrel on the road, they’re legitimate tears. Telling your loved one otherwise may result in that person creating distance between you and him or her or may lead them to guard themselves more.

Some people, like me, have to closely monitor what they eat in the interest of preserving their lives. Anaphylaxis is a serious issue, and so is depression. It sucks that something so simple can cause so much damage. Trust me; I know. I recently have visited the ER for a nice drug cocktail injected right into my veins after eating a salad. Yes, a simple healthy salad could have killed me. I don’t mean to be morbid, but depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms kill people too. So I have to protect myself.

Life is tough. The cliche is true. We should move on and be happy. That’s true too. The so called advice people share has a good ring to it. Yet life holds no such simplicity. People eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all the time. I’d be in incredibly serious danger if I decided to have one for my lunch. I sure hope someone wouldn’t be ignorant enough to tell me, “People eat these all the time. You shouldn’t be blocking your airwaves. Get up and continue living” if I accidentally consumed one. I hope someone doesn’t say something similar the next time I sit immobile while crying in the dark. I’d rather not make myself live life alone and make the feeling of being alone true.

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You can't make advances if you don't take chances. These posts share my perspectives of my journey as I step forward, walking in the Light.

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  • Starlit Darkness 
              As it felt like I continued to fall deeper into darkness, I reminded myself to keep dreaming positively. My stars matched my pajamas to encourage my sleeping dreams as well.  The following weekend I ventured out with my friends to attend a Taking Back Sunday and The Used concert. Surrounding […]
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    After the Top Shelf plain manicure, I had another plain one with some sparkles added. I just didn’t feel spirited enough to enjoy my me time. I still made myself go through the motions though. I might not have been applying makeup regularly, but I kept my nails polished. The little touches kept me from […]
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